Waterfowl hunting is a long-standing activity of outdoor enthusiasts around the world. Geese, ducks, and other waterfowl have been hunted for centuries as both a source of food and as a sporting activity. Today, in most parts of the United States, hunting is closely regulated and restricted to a few weeks or weekends during the autumn months.
Hunters often bring along dogs as retrievers when hunting ducks and geese. Popular breeds, such as Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and Springer Spaniels are trained to retrieve downed birds from the water and return them to the hunters. During a typical day, a retrieving dog may enter and exit the water on numerous occasions to retrieve ducks and geese. Between retrieves, the dog stays in a duck blind or boat away from view of passing waterfowl.
In northern climates, such as Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Canada, the water temperature during the hunting season can approach the freezing point. While the dog's owner may try to dry the dog off after it returns from a retrieve, the cold water can cause the dog to become very chilled. In addition, some popular breeds of hunting dogs are commonly afflicted by arthritis in their hips, causing substantial discomfort when they get cold due to the tightening of muscles and joints.
The problems associated with cool weather hunting are often intensified by the fact that "duck boats" used in duck hunting are constructed of aluminum, which quickly conducts heat away from the dog's body. If a dog has no option except resting on the bottom of a metal boat, it will often get very chilled in a short amount of time.
Previously, hunters have used a variety of devices to protect dogs from the cold and from cold water. For example, life jackets or burlap sacks have been placed in the bottom of boats or blinds. However, both of these methods have significant shortcomings. Life jackets are too small to create a comfortable and even surface for a dog to sleep on, and they slide around easily in the bottom of the boat. Burlap sacks and similar cloth materials do not provide sufficient insulation to protect against the cold. Also, such sacks easily absorb water and can become very heavy during common hunting situations.
Another aspect of the enjoyment of waterfowl hunting is that ducks and geese are extremely alert and wary. Keen eyesight and a flock social structure combine to warn waterfowl of hunters. This wariness makes it imperative that hunters take every step possible to eliminate the risk of discovery. Therefore, any sort of pad or bed for a dog preferably is difficult for a waterfowl to observe.
Thus, there exists a need for a lightweight insulating device for retaining the heat of a wet dog while hunting which improves upon the prior art devices.